Christie signs ‘Patrick’s Law,’ toughening penalties for animal abuse

Animal cruelty legislation inspired by a Newark dog that was starved and abandoned was signed into law by Governor Christie Wednesday.

Under “Patrick’s Law,” failing to provide an animal with necessary care — by depriving it of food, water or other necessities — is now a fourth-degree crime, carrying up to six months in prison and a $2,000 fine. If the animal dies as a result of the abuse, the crime is increased to the third degree.

The law is named after Patrick the Pitbull, a dog that was starved, thrown down a garbage chute and left for dead in Newark in 2011. The legislation was praised by animal rights activists, and it passed unanimously in both chambers of the Legislature. “Pet ownership is a privilege and carries with it a basic responsibility for loving care,” said one of the sponsors, Sen. Tom Kean, Jr., R-Union.

“This law now appropriately punishes and holds accountable any cowardly person who abuses an animal.”